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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. roll — a cake
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pit — a hole
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com